Anti-Transcendentalism? Syntheticity and Intuition in the Philosophy of Mathematics in the Vienna Circle. Case Studies on Hahn, Schlick, and Carnap.

• Applicant: Professorin Dr. Tabea Rohr
• Subject Area: History of Philosophy
• Term: since 2026
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 580523671

Whereas Neo-Kantianism and phenomenology have generally been regarded as continuations of Kant’s transcendental philosophy, logical empiricism was long considered its antithesis. More recent scholarship, however, has shown that the early works of Rudolf Carnap and Moritz Schlick still display significant transcendental-philosophical and phenomenological dimensions, though the extent to which these persist into the Vienna period remains contested. This project examines the role of intuition - central to a transcendental philosophy of mathematics - within the philosophy of the Vienna Circle through case studies on Hans Hahn, Rudolf Carnap, and Moritz Schlick. By combining textual and conceptual-historical analysis, it traces ruptures, shifts, and continuities in the philosophy of mathematics of these three key figures, thereby contributing to a deeper understanding of major philosophical constellations of the early twentieth century.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants